Rain

Finally got out onto the patch, after a day of stupidly heavy rain - so bad that the foyer of the hotel was a foot deep in water ! The patch was fantastic though, even if it meant stopping and sheltering every now and then. All seen in a 2 hour period - 1 River Warbler, 1 Booted Warbler, 2 Nightjar, 1 Black-headed Bunting, 12 Ortolans, 1 Sedge Warbler, 40 Reed Warbler, 15 Willow Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Barred Warbler, 3 Lesser Grey Shrike, 25 Red-backed Shrike, 1 Little Crake, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Isabelline Wheatear and 4 Little Gulls.

Lesser Grey Shrike

Nightjars

Red-backed Shrike

River Warbler

Black-headed Bunting

Raptor Fest

Went up to the Batumi Raptor Count watch point, in glorious sunshine, and was far from disappointed ! During the 4 hours that I was there had 20,000+ Honey Buzzards, 35 Black Kites, a Levant Sparrowhawk, a Short-toed Eagle, 2 Booted Eagles, a Montagu's Harrier, a White Stork and about 300 Bee-eaters.
The daily total from the BRC count can be seen - here http://www.batumiraptorcount.org/projects/raptor-count/latest-count

Honey Buzzards

Black Kite

Honey Buzzards

Levant Sparrowhawk

Quickie

A quick look around the temporary patch this morning - 4 Wryneck, 5 Great Reed Warblers and a Barred Warbler.

Wryneck

Batumi - Quality, not Quantity

Big clear out at Batumi, but what was left was quality - 3 Great Reed Warbler, 6 Ortolans, just 3 Hoopoe, a Bluethroat, 5 Lesser Grey Shrike, 3 Wryneck, 3 Red-throated Pipit, 5 Barred Warblers, 30 Red-backed Shrike, 10 Reed Warbler, 1 Citrine Wagtail, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Isabelline Wheatear, 1 Tawny Pipit, 3 Quail and a Blackcap.

Bluethroat

Great Reed Warbler

Hoopoe

Ortolan Bunting

Wryneck

Even More Shrikes

More rain overnight and more migrants on my new temporary patch - 23 Hoopoes, 1 Great Reed Warbler, 4 Ortolan Bunting, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 25 Reed Warbler (none yesterday), 40 Barred Warbler, now 96 Red-backed Shrikes, 10 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Red-throated Pipit, 3 Citrine Wagtails, 15 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Lesser Grey Shrikes, 40 Isabelline Wheatear, 6 Lesser Whitethroat and 10 Common Whitethroat.
A Great Crested Grebe offshore was a bit of a surprise. Also 27 Black-winged Stilt flew over heading south mid morning.

Barred Warbler

Citrine Wagtail

Isabelline Wheatear

Lesser Grey Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Reed Warbler

Batumi, the day it rained Shrikes

Day one in Batumi, waited in all day for the rain to stop, by early afternoon it still hadn't stopped but I went out anyway. Headed for the site of the old casino, an area of rough ground about the size of a footie pitch - Jeezie Creezie - migrants everywhere !!!
Totals for about 2 hours - 15 Barred Warblers, 40 Whinchat, 60+ Isabelline Wheatear, 100+ Willow Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 40 Yellow Wagtail, 15 Tawny Pipits, 3 Citrine Wagtail, 8 Ortolan Bunting, 40 Swallow, 1 Hoopoe and, best of all, 72 Red-backed Shrikes !

Barred Warbler

Isabelline Wheatear

Red-backed Shrike

Whinchat

Yellow Wagtail

Big Skies

A few shots from the garden today -

Two-barred

Juv Two-barred Crossbill at Sumburgh Head this morning.